Pauline Baird Jones wwwThere have always been very hot writers even before erotica moved into romance territory. Susan Johnson and Beatrice Small wrote

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, Sep 1, 2008

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Pauline Baird Jones www

There have always been very hot writers even before
erotica moved into romance territory.

Susan Johnson and Beatrice Small wrote extremely
hot. Susan Forester was another. Most

readers didn't complain, because the hot was within the
romance, you knew it was a romance,

and the language wasn't a problem.

As I was trying to sell my books I would have been
consider "hot". Generally now I will still

get "hot" a review, but it's more often "sensual".
From the time I signed my first contract

three years ago, and the release of my first book a year
later, the whole definition of "hot"

shifted drastically. A Restless Knight
had one review removed 1/2 star because it was too

hot. Same day I got another review from another
website and they remove 1/2 star because

it wasn't hot enough. How you do address
that?

My books are not erotica, they are typical historical
packaging. I just think people are assuming

all romance is now erotica, which is
hurting. That you are seeing these very resistant and vocal reactions in public, tells me this now new,
but people getting fed up and are finally speaking
up. With Erotica covers getting more tame trying to sell to romance
readers, and romance covers heating up, this
confusion is going to keep driving some readers away unfortunately.

Short of a rating system on books, so readers know the
level of sex and language, similar to

what they have in movies and television, I am not sure
how to address this.

Most of the
ladies I spoke with really enjoy sex scenes as long as 1) it wasnt gratuitous,
and 2) the author doesnt use language they consider too graphic. Books
from 5 years ago is what they want and buy at garage sales. So when you
say vintage romance, dont forget the readers who love Bertrice Small and
authors who used to be considered hot. These readers LOVE those
books. I think theyre very underserved.

I handed one
lady a copy of In Her Bed by Deborah Macgillivraypretty sensual but certainly
not erotica. The reader immediately thought it was erotica, but I assured
her it wasnt and she bought the book. I sure hope she enjoyed it.
That book isnt even packaged like erotica, but I think some of the readers are
gun-shy. Or maybe it was the title, dunno.

I used to read a lot more romances and am wary about
buying until I know the heat level. Like some, just not my cup of tea. It does
seem as if, even if the book isn't overly erotic, that publishers want to
market to erotic readers and not middle of the road anymore. It's like the
market has polarized into inspirational and erotic, with very little middle
ground. Makes it tough for authors like me, who are very middle ground. My
books have ST, but not sex scenes.

I will read sex scenes, but they
have to be romantic and not explicit. I also know the moves. What I want is
the romance.

I respect the right for people to read what they want, but
wonder where the market leaves me as a reader and a writer. I've actually
thought of starting a loop for us "vintage" readers, but not sure how to
market it without offending someone. And there's the problem of where you draw
the line. What doesn't offend me in the way of sex scenes could offend
someone....

Why are you
really here? He
studied her for what seemed like a long time. You appear to have come into
possession of classified
material. What?
What classified
material? I cant
tell you that. Its
classified. You
cant tell me what classified material you think I already
have? Thats
right.
(from Men in Jeans in the
Death in
Texas Anthology,
10/08)

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